Don't Catch Cold
by Moonlight Snowflake
Summary: It's winter on Berk, and Astrid is in for a shock, but not as big as one for Hiccup. (SO SORRY FOR THE LACK OF UPDATES ON MY STORIES RECENTLY)


**(To people who read my other fics, I'M SO SORRY, I got sick, then I had to make up for lost time, then this happened, then that happened, and my schedule became a mess, just a big mess.)**

**(Sooooo I wrote a quick but cute little fic as an apology to readers, I hope you enjoy)**

**Note 1: This is after Berk's SECOND Snoggletog with the dragons, just wanted to make that clear**

**Note 2: Heather is a character from the TV show, and NO you don't have to necessarily have watched it to understand this fic**

**Note 3: Snotlout may be a bit OOC in this, but what can I say, I like to see the good in all characters**

**Well with not much left to say. . .On With The Show**

If there was one thing Berk was famous for. . . besides. . . dragons, it'd be cold weather.

No scratch that, unbearable, chilling, _freezing_, cold weather. It was just a few days after Snoggletog, the dragons returned, coincidentally just before a large storm had hit the night before. Now with their help, the process of ridding the village of the icy substance was done much more smoothly, but even still, it was only the afternoon and snow and sleet still clinged to the ground and buildings of Berk.

It was on this not-so-good afternoon, that Astrid found herself walking across the streets of Berk, her new red scarf, ( a Snoggletog gift from her mother), whipping in the wind as she made her way towards the forge. Having to chisel away bits of ice and fallen hail all morning had dulled her ax and she needed to get it sharpened. But while walking she heard something. . .peculiar.

"Heather WAIT !"

Astrid turned and spotted Snotlout approaching the teenage girl. Heather had met them this summer, but had returned with her family this autumn. Easy guess, Astrid wasn't very pleased, especially after what she had made them go through a few months ago, but by winter, the girl had started to grow on her.

She was just now heading out of her house a few yards away from where Astrid herself stood, neither taking noticed of her presence. Snotlout walked up to her, unwrapped his own scarf, taking it off his neck and handing it to the ebony haired girl.

"You shouldn't be out in this kind of weather like that." Snotlout said.

Astrid had just now noticed that besides her usual clothing, Heather had no coat or scarf or. . ._anything_ really. But why would she be out in this kind of weather without one? From what she could remember, before Heather decided to stay on Berk, she had lived more south in the tropics, so it wasn't like cold was something the teen probably had a good handle on either, heck, even Astrid _herself_, someone who had grown up with the island's harsh winters, still kept a close place to her fireplace at night!

_Why would her parents not even bother to_. . .Astrid's thoughts paused. _'Oh'_ she thought.

Now she remembered, Heather's family, until recently had been _nomadic_, people who traveled from place to place frequently. They just now had settled into Berk and didn't have support anyway, they probably couldn't even **_afford_** for their daughter to have extra clothing.

Snotlout rewrapped the scarf now around Heather's neck, smoothing her dark hair out of the way.

"There" he said, "don't want you catching cold".

Even from the extension of where she was, Astrid could still see the bright red hue, blushing into Heather's cheeks at the gesture and gratefully took Snotlout's hand to lead her into the plaza, huddling her face deeper into the wool fabric whilst they walked.

Astrid's eyes widened, she was both shocked, happy, and yet. . .envious. Of course seeing Snotlout do such a kind gesture was shocking enough, and Astrid couldn't help but be pleased that the arrogant, ego-filled, attention hogging mutton-head was finally showing some courtesy to someone. Yet something about it left a sour taste in her mouth. . .but why ?

Was she jealous ? Of Heather with Snotlout ! pfft. . .NO WAY, that's crazy talk. No. . .it was more like upset of the gesture itself, not of who gave the scarf but the fact that it was given.

_"But why should I be jealous of that ?"_ Astrid thought, _"it's just a guy giving a girl a scarf, what's the point of jealousy"_. Astrid shook her head, _"no I'm not jealous, it's just the cold getting to me. . .yeah, just the cold getting to me"._

Satisfied with her answer, Astrid trudged forward towards the forge, trying to push the scene to the back of her memory.

Arriving, she was greeted by the loud clanging sound of hammering metal and the warmth of the forge fire surrounding her as she walked further into the building. As usual, Hiccup could be seen working, at the moment, beating his hammer at a glowing sword, and Astrid could see Toothless beside the fire snoozing, neither had noticed her presence yet.

Hiccup wiped the sweat off his brow and dunked the scorching hot metal into a basin of water, making a cloud of steam shoot out of it, pulling it back out, Hiccup smiled, satisfied, and laid it on the table.

"Nice work, as usual." Astrid commented.

Hiccup gasped at the appearance of a new voice and turned around to see the blonde look at him with playful eyes.

"Astrid. . uh. .yeah hi Astrid. . .I was. . uh. .just um. . .hi Astrid hi", he stuttered.

The shield maiden couldn't help but chuckle. "Hi yourself, you know you don't have to act all weird around me anymore right ?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Sorry, it's just that, so much has changed for me in the past year you know?" He looked over at Toothless then back at her and slumped his shoulders. "Guess I'm just getting used to people **_wanting_** to talk to me if not with an insult".

This new realization, began forming a knot in Astrid's stomach and thoughts of regret for even walking into the forge. Her eyes turned down, not ready to meet his gaze. Before dragon training, she wanted little to nothing to do with him, as did most people, it had been barely over a year since the Red Death and it was probably too hopeful to think such a flip from being "Hiccup the Useless" to "Village Hero" would be easy.

"Yeah." She spoke softly and halfheartedly only for it to be absorbed into the awkward silence.

"But hey, that's all in the past now right ?" Hiccup said quickly, ridding the two of the depressing memory. "Anyway, is there anything you need ?"

"Oh yeah" she said, just now remembering what she came in for. She pulled her ax off her belt. "I need this sharpened."

Hiccup gave a silent nod, taking the ax and placing it on the grinding stone, and began tapping the pedal to make it turn.

"So um. . . where's Gobber ?" Astrid asked simply to try and ease the awkward silence that threatened to return.

"He's helping with getting rid of the ice with everyone else, he left me here to finish up these last three swords and any side projects if anyone were to come by. . .like you for example".

Astrid nodded, looking over, she could see the sword Hiccup just finished next to two other ones, each crafted exceptionally well with clear care and thought put into their creating. Astrid couldn't deny Hiccup did indeed have a skill for blacksmitthing, it was quite ironic if you think about it, the boy can make, sharpen, and fix an ax. . . he just can't throw one.

As the minutes passed, she brushed her fingers against the cool metal, listening to the steady humming from the grinding stone as it sharpened her ax, and now took the chance of trying to speak again.

"Well. . .it looks as though you're pretty much done for right now. . .wanna grab lunch?"

The grinding stone made a hastily stop, at her offer. Hiccup paused from his work.

_"Oh no, was I too forward?"_ Astrid thought nervously. After what they had been through, she really wanted to be friends with him, and for awhile, it seemed they were, but from how closed off he was, Astrid had to keep second guessing herself on what she said to and around the chief's son.

This was not one of those times.

"L. .lunch!" Hiccup repeated, as though it was the strangest idea one could ever encounter.

_"Alright, just ask natural."_ She thought.

Astrid shrugged her shoulders with 'indifference'. "Sure, I mean, I'm on my break, and you seem to have everything done, sooooooo. . . . why not ?"

The next few seconds of silence, felt like hours across Astrid's mind as she tapped her fingers anxiously waiting for an answer.

"Sure."

_"Oh no he's- wait what?_" "Wait what?" Astrid repeated her thoughts out loud.

"I said sure, if that's alright with you." Hiccup responded casually putting his apron back on it hook.

"Um. . ." Astrid trailed off. _"Act natural_" "Sure alright, let's go."

* * *

><p>The distance from the forge to the Great Hall wouldn't be a long one, this showed no need for flying, earning Astrid a low growl from Toothless, as he trudged behind her and Hiccup out of the forge.<p>

The walk was particularly quiet. That is until one of winter's merciless breezes blew in the couple's direction. For Astrid, this was average Berk winter weather behavior and easily ignored. What _did_ catch her attention was Hiccup's reaction to it.

The boy shuddered and shivered towards the winds, putting his arms across and rubbing them and his hands from becoming too numb.

"Are you alright Hiccup?" Astrid asked concerned.

Hiccup glanced up back at her, as though just noticing her presence and nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I've spent so much of my time in the forge", he chuckled, "I guess you could say I've gotten so used to the heat, that I have forgotten what the cold is like."

Astrid nodded at the explanation, before the events with the Red Death, or heck, before they even started dragon training, Hiccup tended to be closed in, (no doubt his father's orders), from the rest of the village. He didn't grow up and grow accustomed to the same way of life as everyone else.

Wait! It was then the thought struck her. Hiccup wasn't accustomed to cold,_ just like Heather_, and suddenly, and idea strung into place.

"Here," she said, unwrapping the woolen scarf from her neck and placing on Hiccup, smoothing it out and tying it into a small, fairly easy knot, the same her mother showed her how to do when she was little. "There", she said satisfied with her work.

"Uhhh. . . ." Hiccup trailed off, his face glowing bright red. "You didn't really have to do that." His voice cracked.

Astrid smiled at his shyness and gave a chuckle. "Well we wouldn't want you to catch cold."

At the comment, Hiccup gave a small awkward laugh himself and continued his walk with her to the Great Hall.

**(Awwwwwww, short, yet sweet, tell me what you think. Hate? Like? Love? "Comment!" I love those. Sorry again to my followers, hopefully you like this fluffy one-shot. There you go. Read and Review and this is Moonlight Snowflake signing off.)**


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